dinsdag 20 september 2011

This morning I woke up at 04:00 a.m. feeling like a pincushion that's stabbed with thousands of those nasty pins

************** :>( **************

Another allergic reaction, I guessed, which was becoming worse in the following hours.

Happily I had an appointment at the surgeon's at about eleven o'clock for a wound check up ( kind of Show & Tell ); I hoped he could help me out of this prickly situation too!

I am trying to adapt to the new situation that offers me loads of time for reading and blogging about needlework, patchwork & quilting.

The bees, lessons, courses I had planned to take or was already doing, all had to be cancelled.
That hurts, I can tell you!

The more it hurts when tuition fee is not restituted. That's what I am experiencing now in one case, and I am talking about a substantial amount.

This bad luck that came over me doesn't even seem to be reason enough to let 'rules' go and pay my
over-one-hundred euros back.

I might sound bitter, but it truly is how I feel right now. Bit disappointed I am.

By twelve o'clock I was back from the surgeon; the four drains were removed from finger and palm, I got medication against this new antibiotic allergy, new and better fitting finger bandages and a letter for a physical therapist for excercises to get my finger / hand back in shape.
New appointment Wednesday next week.

I'll spend this afternoon reading and maybe do some organizing in my little Walhalla, where I want to pile up neatly the fabrics that are still in my sewing area / on my dinner table :>)
Just try and feel how far I come with only one hand available.

zondag 18 september 2011

yesterday was my youngest son's 23rd. birthday and I was so happy I was at home in time!!

And yesterday I decided to give my 'disaster'-quilt a name. A name I want to embroider on a label when I am fully recovered and able to write and stitch again, whenever that will be.

I think it won't be of any surprise to you that I call that cloth 'Panaritium Tendinosum'... after the disease the curved basting pin pricked me with into hospital and another kind of cutting and stitching of patches and threads........

I want to show one more photo of that quilt, that has to wait for its final binding until Mrs. Zondagssteek can pick up the threaded needle again :>)

vrijdag 16 september 2011

eight days of silence on my blog, rather unusual for me, but the reason is a similar unusual story that started on Thursday last week with sandwiching my batik quilt

using those fantastic curved basting pins that appeared to be S H A R P .....

because, when I wanted to pick up pin number eighty-one something happened that made the pin end up in my right middlefinger tip. Arrrgh. I took it out and finished my sandwiching job, to start the quilting.

Thirty six hours later I woke up, bathing in sweat and suffering severe pain in that finger and a 38,6 C.degrees fever.

Consulting the weekend doctor's service next morning at 11:30 a.m. I was immediately sent through to a surgeon, who operated me policlinically, 'hung' me on bottles with antibiotics and kept me in hospital.

Monday afternoon another operation (under total anaesthesia this time) was indicated as my hand was swollen, infection levels in the blood were rising and the aspect of the hand was no less than horrible.

The surgeon did a very good job and my finger could be saved.

After four more days filled with painkillers, antibiotics (and an allergy for one specific kind of them :>((, a problem that had to be solved as well), wound draining baths and all that, finally I could be sent home after six days.

Recovery will take a long long time, think in months............, in which I can not even think of holding a needle or using scissors, I'm afraid. So, no quilting for me for I do not know how long and that makes me feel sad, so sad.

Really hand-icapped.

But I keep up hope and I will keep on blogging, as one finger is enough to use the laptop for writing updates :>)

donderdag 8 september 2011

'Step by step' is what came to my mind, when I found my children's first shoes whilst searching the attic for old sewing patterns.

Three sons and one daughter started finding their way step by step in these dear little shoes that I gave a place of honour in my livingroom, with the little quilt that I finished today.

This is what I found too

a sweater I knitted for my daughter Loni, about twenty years ago...

It was not only knitted, there was also some darning to be done.

Ain't it cute?

I remember my pride and joy when Loni and her three brothers ( Willem, Hans and Jan) all were wearing their sweaters I knitted in four different colours. For the boys I sewed velveteen trousers in olive green, bottle green and black (depending on the main colour of the sweater), for Loni a nice skirt.

Today I am the happy oma of two darling granddaughters, of whom one already is walking in her own little shoes...

While it's raining a flock of cats and dogs, I am in my cosy home spending my time sewing, stitching and quilting.

With Autumn blown into the country I feel happy at home with my fabrics and threads, patterns and the time that can be spent the way I like the best.

So I plugged in my sewing machine to make some new soother ribbons, that also can be used to take a little toy safely, because clicked to coat or safety belt it can't be lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days ago I was called by a lady who works in a so-called Thomashuis, taking care of mentally limited people living there.

She told me they are planning a Christmas Fair on the 8th. of December and she asked me, whether I would like to join that Fair. I can have my own table to show and tell, sell as well (about) my patchwork and quilting activities and products.

I am thrilled, you can imagine!

So, from next week forward I'll be busy sewing Christmas 'stuff' for that event. Wow :>)!

vrijdag 2 september 2011

How are you doing? Enjoying a lovely, sunny day like I do? It is so good to see and feel the sunshine, which is promised to last for the next two days here in Holland....

I have been stitching, ofcourse, what else am I busy with every day again?

To create order in quilt stuff that has to be taken to bees or lessons, I sewed these bags:

Fabrics are from my little Walhalla. I bought the beads at the Kruidvat sale, enjoying 70% discount :>)); they were sewn for decoration to women's belts. I took them off to make my own new creations.

As you can see the inside of the bag contains eight compartments for yarn, needles, scissors etc.

And look what I made and put in the centre...

a pincushion!

The paisley-print fabric is from the sale at Kwantum's curtain department, a couple of years ago

What would the other bag be without a pincushion for itself?
I made the largest pincushion I ever did until now, size 5XL, using an old button I got from my old (in every way) landlady. I think I'll use it for my many curved basting pins.

&

Look at the mess in my 'crafting area', which in fact is my dinnertable :>)
Every day I sweep the whole lot off the table to another table or the settee, so I can enjoy my dinner the appropriate way.

One more bag I made; this one is for the lace-working lessons I am to attend, to organize and take the bobbins, etc.
I like the lace-like fabric print; think it's suitable

Adding a(nother)............?
Pincushion!

Well, that's it for now.
I am going out for a bikeride in the sunshine.
Have a wonderful day!